The Art of Interpretation: Women, directing and sf television

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Art of Interpretation

T2 - Women, directing and sf television

AU - Abbott, Stacey

PY - 2018/6/1

Y1 - 2018/6/1

N2 - While there is an established tradition of women writers of SF literature, it is more difficult to identify a similar pantheon of women creators of science fiction television. This is because authorship tends to be seen to be located within a single figure, usually a male writer/producer, despite the collaborative nature of television production. This essay examines the contribution of women to science fiction television by re-evaluating the role of the director. By surveying a sample of SF TV, the essay identifies a selection of women, including Doctor Who directors Hettie MacDonald, Alice Troughton, and Rachel Talalay, who have helped shape contemporary SF television through their aesthetic sensibilities and their continued presence within the contemporary television industry. In so doing it aims to destabilize conventions that position creativity within one, often male, creator and locate the female creative voice within science fiction television. © 2018, Liverpool University Press. The attached document (embargoed until 01/06/2020) is an author produced version of a paper published in Science Fiction Film and Television, uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/sfftv.2018.16. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it.

AB - While there is an established tradition of women writers of SF literature, it is more difficult to identify a similar pantheon of women creators of science fiction television. This is because authorship tends to be seen to be located within a single figure, usually a male writer/producer, despite the collaborative nature of television production. This essay examines the contribution of women to science fiction television by re-evaluating the role of the director. By surveying a sample of SF TV, the essay identifies a selection of women, including Doctor Who directors Hettie MacDonald, Alice Troughton, and Rachel Talalay, who have helped shape contemporary SF television through their aesthetic sensibilities and their continued presence within the contemporary television industry. In so doing it aims to destabilize conventions that position creativity within one, often male, creator and locate the female creative voice within science fiction television. © 2018, Liverpool University Press. The attached document (embargoed until 01/06/2020) is an author produced version of a paper published in Science Fiction Film and Television, uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/sfftv.2018.16. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it.

U2 - 10.3828/sfftv.2018.16

DO - 10.3828/sfftv.2018.16

M3 - Article

SN - 1754-3770

VL - 11

SP - 203

EP - 231

JO - Science Fiction Film and Television

JF - Science Fiction Film and Television

IS - 2

ER -